You Belong to Me
by Crimson-Eyes26
Summary: Starscream takes a human and makes her his eternal slave. See the evolving relationship and bond between master and servant, a good example of the Stockholm Syndrome. Rated T for violence and slavery.
1. Shoe Toss

Author's Note: I suck at summaries and Author's Notes...'nuff said.

Chapter 1: Shoe Toss

"Faster, you imbeciles! Work faster!"

It wasn't like Starscream to work the troops this hard. But with Megatron lying in a coma on the medbay slab, someone had to take command. He decided that someone would very well be him, seeing as he felt like he served as Megatron's dog too long. It was time he proved to them that he had what it takes to be as good as, no, BETTER than Megatron. He noticed a troop slacking off and in quick anger he stormed towards him and mercilessly backhanded him.

"Did I say you could slack off!? Get back to work!"

The mine the Decepticons were currently raiding had an open shaft the size of a lake. The mine was located in an area unknown to human kind, so they figured they could work unnoticed.

That is…until one unexpectedly wandered into their territory.

A girl, about 19 or 20, walked out of the woods surrounding the mine and stopped in front of the giant hole before she could accidentally fall in. Her blue-green eyes looked at the pit in awe, so much awe she had to take the strand of hair covering her right eye out of her face. She could hear drilling and what sounded like pickaxes hitting the rock below. But…who would be operating in a place like this?

"Get that Energon ready to ship immediately!"

The girl felt her brown hair be caressed by the wind. "What's Energon? I wonder who's down there…and how deep this pit is…"

She decided she would test the depth…by using her shoe. She slipped off her left black shoe and, with a bit of precision, tossed it down the hole. She waited a few moments before she heard a THUD. However, it wasn't the sound of a shoe hitting rock.

It was the sound of a shoe hitting metal.

"WHO THE FRAG THREW THAT!?"

"Uh oh." The girl gulped. "I'd better run!"

The girl ran towards a rock that had a hole in it and she dove into it. She peeked behind her and saw a metallic arm, a giant metallic arm, come out of the hole. Seconds later, the head and the rest of the body came out. She never saw anything like it. The metallic giant had a face with a long chin, piercing red eyes, a red crest on his forehead, a slender body with long arms and legs like high-heeled boots, and two sets of jet wings. She knew he was searching for the culprit who threw the shoe.

"Now…where did the little rat go?" Starscream whispered in a sinister tone.

He didn't have to look far. He glanced at a fractured rock…and saw a shoeless human foot sticking out of it. A sinister grin appeared on his faceplate and he inched closer to the rock. Taking his slender talons, he bent down and squeezed them against the flesh of the human's leg. He chuckled when he heard the human mutter, "Oh crap!"

The girl didn't even know what to think as the talons pulled her out and hung her upside-down to face the mech. She stared at the red optics glaring at her as quietly as she could; Starscream was surprised she wasn't screaming for her life.

"So YOU'RE the one who threw that rubber object at my helm. Do you have any idea who you've just angered!?" He paused and placed his free hand against the center of his chestplate. "I am Starscream, the exalted leader of the Decepticons and conqueror of humanity!"

"You're mad over a shoe? Honestly…" The girl stated, humor in her voice.

Starscream clenched his dental plating. "Silence, wretch! You would be wise to respect me!"

The girl smirked. "And what if I don't?"

Starscream sneered and brought her closer to his face. "Oh…I think I know what would make you learn respect." He pressed his talons to his comlink. "Decepticons, we are pulling out. And…I'm bringing back a little souvenir."


	2. Bondage

Author's Note: Starscream brings his human hostage to the Nemesis, where she gets acquainted with Knock Out and then locked up in a cage. Takes place before the events of "Out of His Head". Rate and review!

Chapter 2: Bondage

"Welcome back, Lord Starscream." Knock Out greeted with a smug grin. He suddenly took notice of a box he was holding. "What have you got there?"

Starscream snorted. "The 'mighty' Megatron would've forbid it, but I've decided to acquire a source of entertainment. It gets boring around here."

"What do you mean by a 'source of entertainment'?" Knock Out questioned.

Starscream smirked and went to open the box. The medic could hear thumping and shouting coming from the box, which intensified when the Seeker pulled out what was in there. In Starscream's talons was a human female that was thrashing about, trying her best to get away.

"Where did you get that?"

"The little rat was wondering around the mine opening…and decided to throw a rubber pede cover at my head. So…I'm teaching her a little respect."

The girl glared at him. "I have a name, and it's Cheyenne, you jerkwad!"

Starscream held her upside-down again and flashed a grin of malice. "Oh, I didn't mean to offend you, Cheyenne! Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Because you kept pointing those knives you call fingers in my face! You could've poked my eyes out!"

Starscream gently flicked her on the back, causing her to yelp and groan. Knock Out stared at Cheyenne and even extended his finger to touch her. Afterwards, he took out a polishing rag and wiped his hands.

"Interesting, and you picked up a feisty one. Maybe things will get entertaining with the new pet around here."

Cheyenne stared at them wide-eyed. "I am NOT anyone's PET! Let me go right now!"

Starscream smirked and dangled her around, much to her dismay. "You're not going anywhere."

"But I have a family! I want to be with them!"

"They can learn to live with one less member."

Cheyenne suddenly fell silent. Starscream felt victorious and proceeded to carry the human to his quarters. If Megatron were awake and saw this, he would give him a severe beating and kill the human on the spot. But Megatron was basically a berth ornament now, so whatever the Seeker said goes. He wouldn't kill the human just yet; he would 'play' with her some and then splatter her entrails all over the Nemesis walls. He also looked around to make sure that Soundwave wasn't skulking around and happened to see him with the vermin. Seeing as the coast was clear, he typed a code into the keypad next to his door and entered his quarters.

Cheyenne took a moment to study her surroundings. The metallic walls were cold and radiated the personality of one who was cunning and calculating. Numerous schematics were scattered on a nearby desk and on the floor. A picture of another robot had metal projectiles sticking out of it. Was that the Megatron Starscream frequently mentioned? It seemed obvious that Starscream practically hated him. But one picture stood out. It showed Starscream, seemingly younger, smiling and standing with two female robots.

"…Who are those girl robots with you in that picture?" The human asked despite her bleak situation.

Starscream glanced at her and sat her on a nearby table. "Why do you even care?"

"I'm just curious. Are they friends of yours? And why are your eyes blue in that picture?"

Starscream massaged his temples and scowled at her. "I don't like you asking so many questions. Inquisitive humans drive me insane."

"Well at least I know I'm making an accomplishment."

Despite her great usage of sarcasm, Cheyenne was scared out of her mind. She discretely pulled out her cell phone and found no signal bars on it. If she hadn't left her teleportation band at home, she could've gotten out of here scat-free. She heard a small creak and turned around to see Starscream seated at the desk, apparently adding to those schematics.

"What are those for, anyway?"

Starscream glared at her. "I told you I don't like you asking so many questions. You wouldn't be able to read these, anyway."

"So…where am I going to sleep? Do you have anything to eat?"

"You will sleep in your new and cozy little cage. As for food, I will send Knock Out to get something for you. I'll even be gracious enough for you to go outside to excrete waste if needed." Starscream stated before turning in his chair and giving a dangerous smirk towards her. "If you behave, I'll let you leave my quarters and wonder around the ship."

"Oh very funny, and I am NOT sleeping in a cage."

Cheyenne yelped when Starscream picked her up and threw her into said-cage. After he locked the door, she grabbed onto the bars and glared at him. He just grinned and went to turn out the lights in his quarters. He turned on his berth in preparation for recharge and happened to look back at the girl.

"You might as well get used to your new home…because I doubt you'll ever be going back to your old one."

Cheyenne stared at him even as he got onto his berth and went to sleep. She just sat down and leaned against the cage wall, her knees hugging her chest. She couldn't sleep; not as a hostage. She frowned and glanced over at the sleeping Seeker.

"…We'll see about that."


	3. Heavy Heart

Author's Note: This chapter proves that Starscream's not very talented at taking care of a human. He forgets that they need food and water every day. He also gives his human his mark...and now she is forever his.

Chapter 3: Heavy Heart

"Starscream, have you been checking to make sure the human has been getting enough fuel and hydration?" Knock Out asked as he stared at the cage in the Seeker's quarters.

"I suppose so. Why?"

"Something's wrong with her. She looks a little delirious and a little bit of the fur on her head is falling out. That's a sign of malnutrition." Knock Out paused and then glared at Starscream. "You've been forgetting to feed her, haven't you?"

"So what if I have? It's not like she's dead. From what I heard, humans are supposed to be resilient."

"Only for a certain period. She can do okay without food for a while; they just burn excess body fat. However, they can't go for days without water. I mean, just look at her! She wasn't like this a week ago!"

Starscream huffed and looked into the cage. Cheyenne was leaning her head against the cage bars and had a little bit of foamy saliva coming out of her mouth. She rubbed her head and brought back a small web of hair. She soon collapsed into a sitting position and just stared into space. He grimaced and looked back at Knock Out.

"Oh…I guess I have been a little neglectful."

"You GUESS!? Go get her and get her some water and at least some scrap of food! I don't want to wake up and see a filthy, decomposing human on this ship!"

"All right, fine! And when I get back, tell me if there is any change in 'Lord' Megatron's condition. When those Autobots infiltrated, you told me that there was zero brain activity. Well, it doesn't really matter to me, anyway; he's just a decoration now." He opened up the cage and dragged Cheyenne out. "Come on human, I'm getting you some nourishment!"

"…" Cheyenne didn't respond.

"Look a little livelier! Be grateful that I'm allowing you a little bit of freedom!"

Starscream transformed into a jet with Cheyenne in the cockpit and they left to find some food and water for the girl. Starscream didn't know why he was making such a big deal over the human; Knock Out seemed to be more of the one concerned. But…something inside of him was telling him to help her at all costs. He looked to see they were coming towards a park and, without being noticed, he transformed and put her on the ground.

"There's one of those 'water fountain' things nearby, now hurry up and get a drink!"

Cheyenne ran towards the water fountain and began to drink from it for several minutes. Starscream watched her and seemed a little amused that the water was even spilling onto her tank top. She just continued sipping and lapping; she never felt so thankful for water before. After what seemed like ten minutes, Cheyenne tore herself away from the water fountain and went back to Starscream.

"It took you long enough! There's some type of fuel charity going on at a building with a cross on it. Get yourself some nourishment there!"

"…You mean a church? They always give out free food. Okay…"

The human ran to the church and saw a small line to receive burgers and hot dogs as well as cans of soda and water bottles. She waited patiently until she managed to get two hot dogs, two bags of potato chips, a can of soda, and a water bottle. She thanked the cooks who took notice of her ragged appearance and she took off back to Starscream. As she ran back, she wondered why she was even going back to him. She could take a chance and just run away right now. But he could be able to catch her…and something inside of her was telling her to go back. She sighed and continued on until the Seeker came into view.

"What are you, a pig?"

"Hey, I haven't eaten in days! I'm starving; you wouldn't understand!"

"There are a lot of things about you vermin that I wouldn't bother to understand. There are also a lot of things about me that you could never fathom."

Cheyenne rolled her eyes. "Huh…is that right?"

"Why are you asking questions? Eat your food so we can go!"

"Don't rush me! If I eat too fast, I might choke."

Starscream snorted and watched the girl consume the food she received. After thirty minutes, she was finally done and they were ready to go back to the Nemesis.

"It took you long enough to eat! If you could process Energon, you would have finished a long time ago!"

"Well I'm not a robot, so there." Cheyenne retorted. "Besides, that Energon stuff smells like gasoline. It would probably kill me!"

"Humph. You complain too much. It's time for us to go back to the ship." He paused to transform. "Get in."

"As you wish, 'Master'."

Something clicked in Starscream's processor. "You just gave me an idea. As of this moment, you will refer to me as 'Lord Starscream' or 'Master'. Anything else and you will be punished. Am I clear?"

"Whoa, you suddenly think I'm your slave now? As if!"

Starscream inwardly smirked. "Yes…you are now my slave. When we get back to the ship, you will give me a good buffing and polish."

"You can't be serious!"

"If you refuse to cooperate, I will drop you…and I guarantee that you will not survive the fall."

Cheyenne growled. "Fine, I'll give you a makeover."

"What do you address me as?"

"…I'll give you a makeover, Master."

The Seeker chuckled. "Good human."

When they got back to the Nemesis, Starscream quickly rushed Cheyenne back to his quarters and hurriedly shut the door behind them. He then walked closer to the human, causing her to be backed into a corner. She looked up and saw that the Seeker had one of his talons extended.

"W-What are you doing?" Cheyenne asked with a bad feeling in her heart.

"I'm just making sure…that you know you forever belong to me."

With his deadly talon, Starscream pressed the tip to the center of Cheyenne's chest. Chuckling, he dragged it across her fair skin, causing blood to trail behind while leaving a deep gash. The girl had to fight to keep from screaming; the pain was just like fire. When he pulled the talon away, the human looked down and saw the symbol on Starscream's chest carved into hers.

"I gave you my mark…so you are forever mine, human."


	4. Connection

Author's Note: This chapter takes place right before "Shadowzone". The human finds her master has not returned, so she goes to find him while evading Megatron and the others. When she finds him...she is horrified of how grave his condition is after escaping but suddenly wishing to return.

Chapter 4: Connection

"Did you see what just happened?" A Vehicon troop asked another.

"Yeah. That yellow Autobot just plunged that purple Energon into Lord Megatron's chest…and he rose off of the berth alive and well!"

"What do you think he's going to do?"

"I don't know, but he didn't look to happy, and I don't think it was because of the Autobots on the ship."

Cheyenne could hear the conversation between the Vehicons even from Starscream's closed quarters. Apparently, the one called "Megatron" was now fully-recovered and was going to deal with either the Autobots…or Starscream himself. From what Starscream said, he had almost made sure that Megatron would never wake up. Well, that apparently failed, because some other robot named "Bumblebee" placed a glowing purple rock into Megatron's chest and it reawakened him. It seemed impossible for an enemy to do that…unless Bumblebee was possessed into doing so.

"I wish I could see what was going on…" Cheyenne moaned. Suddenly an idea clicked in her head. "Oh, I think I can break out of here!"

Taking out her hand, she focused on the light system in the room. After a few seconds, her eyes went from blue-green to red and a bolt of electricity came out of the grid and into her hand. She then proceeded to stare intently at the electrical ball in her palm until flames surrounded it and it became something like a welding flame. With careful precision, she used the flame to cut through the cage bars. She remembered the code Starscream put in to open the door, so she leapt up to the keypad and quickly typed in the code. The door opened and she swiftly ran out before any of the Vehicons noticed.

"Now I can get out of here!" She laughed as she went towards the deck.

She made her way to the deck and saw that the ship had made a pit-stop to pick up something from a mining sight. With her heart and mind secure, she took a deep breath and jumped off the deck and landed nimbly on the ground. Finally, she could go home, she could be back with her family, she could be free from the clutches of Starscream.

"I can't believe I got out! Why didn't I think of that earlier!?" She asked herself as she ran. "Oh yeah…I had food on my brain. Well, I can't wait to have one of Mom's home-cooked meals!"

As she continued to run, something in her sent a pain through her heart. She felt like she could hear painful shrieks…and they sounded like they came from Starscream. She somehow saw him being beaten and tortured by the hands of someone bigger and stronger than him. The larger figure took his hands and actually moved to yank the Seeker's wings off. As a result, Starscream screeched in agony. Cheyenne didn't know why, but it was hard to see Starscream in pain. She placed her hand over her heart and squeezed it into a fist. She looked to see that it was already nightfall and looked in the direction of the Nemesis.

"…Why do I want to go back…?" She asked herself.

Without thinking, her body just started to move. She turned around…and started to run back to the Nemesis. She still couldn't figure it out, but she felt like she had to help someone in need. Even if that someone was the vile and manipulative Starscream. She figured it was like the bond that forms between the kidnapper and the kidnapped when they spend enough time with each other. Such a sick bond…but it was an effective one at best. She wasn't even thinking as words started to come out of her mouth.

"Starscream…don't die on me…"

She got back to the Nemesis and saw it was getting ready for take-off. She used the same tactics as before and got back onto the deck of the ship. She snuck in when a few Vehicons had their backs turned. She kept dodging them and sneaking into corners until she came across Starscream's quarters. She jumped up and typed in his entry code and the door opened.

However…his room was empty.

Where could he be? He had to be somewhere on the ship; she didn't remember him leaving. All she remembered was that he was last seen on the deck with Knock Out…and they were somewhere cold. She could hear Vehicon troops outside talking.

"Whoa, Commander Starscream's in pretty bad shape."

"I know. Megatron really gave him a serious beating. Don't really know what it was over, though. They have him in the medbay right now."

Cheyenne felt her heart start to race. Starscream was tortured by none-other than Megatron. Apparently, Megatron found out about Starscream's attempt to kill him and decided to punish him. She didn't know the way to the medbay, but she would at least try to find it. Maybe if she followed Knock Out, she could find it; he was the doctor, after all. She looked down the hall and saw the Decepticon medic going somewhere, so she decided to quietly tail him. The best way she knew how: take the ceiling. When no one was looking, she ran up the wall and onto the ceiling, sticking right to it.

"I'm glad their ceilings are compatible with my power…" She whispered to herself.

She was one of a few humans capable of performing feats no ordinary person could pull off. It was something in her blood…and it was a good thing Starscream didn't know about it. If he knew, he could possibly use her to harm innocent people. So once she found him, she would go back to acting like a defenseless fleshling.

The pursuit of Knock Out continued until she saw him at a large door. He went in and Cheyenne quickly followed before the door closed and before Knock Out could notice. She looked in the center of the room and silently gasped.

Starscream was lying on a berth hooked up to multiple tubes and with monitors continuously showing his vitals. His body looked broken and beaten and he was gasping for air. His wings almost looked like someone tried to bend them to the point that they would break. There were gashes all over his frame and he twitched every few minutes. Knock Out was examining him and he shook his helm as he punched a few things into a datapad. As he went to go outside, he paused when he thought he heard rustling. After looking around for a few seconds, he shrugged his shoulders and proceeded out the door.

Cheyenne jumped down from the ceiling and walked forward to the seemingly-comatose Starscream. Despite the things he did to her, dangling her around by her ankles, forcing her to clean him in the interfacing equipment, carving the Decepticon symbol into her chest, taking her from her friends and family, despite all those things…she started to feel sorry for him.

"Starscream…did Megatron really do this to you…?" She asked in vain.

"…"

She huffed a sigh. "Are you all right, Master…?"

"…"

"Come on, this isn't funny! Wake up! Okay, you know what? I won't be sarcastic when I say 'Master' anymore! I call you that with some dignity!" She grimaced when he still didn't respond. "Why won't you answer me? Master…"

Instead of the response she wanted, she got something else. The vital monitor started blaring and Starscream's optics rolled into the back of his helm. His body started to convulse and the screen showed his sparkbeat was erratic. Her own heart started to race as she desperately tried to figure out what to do. She concluded that this place had to run on some form on electricity, so it was worth a shot. She stretched forth her hand to the lights and stared at them. Her eyes once again turned red and instead of fire, electricity came shooting from the lights, powering them off, and into her hands. She climbed onto Starscream's chest and pressed her ear to it to determine where his spark chamber was. Finding the probable location, she took the electricity in her hands and jabbed him in the chest, causing him to jerk. She looked at the monitor and found his sparkbeat was still skyrocketing.

"Okay…let's try this again!"

She brought in more electricity, this time from her own nervous system, and jabbed him again. It still had no effect. She decided to try one more time, using more electricity from her body. She could feel her hands and feet going numb, but she couldn't just let him die. Sure, he was a cruel and malicious snake, but it was also wrong to just stand by and let him die. She took the electricity and once again shocked him. Panting, she glanced over at the monitor…and found his sparkbeat was stable. She smiled at her success until she heard footsteps outside and she knew it was time to get out of here.

Knock Out re-entered the room and found Starscream starting to wake up. The medic smirked and stated, "It's about time you woke up. Megatron wanted me to make sure your husk was still online."

"Spare me the sarcasm, Knock Out… I had what humans called a 'dream'… I dreamed that the human…saved my life…"

Knock Out laughed. "Saved YOU? Why would she do that?"

"…I don't know… How could she even get out of her cage to do it?"

"You're strange Starscream, you know that?"

Meanwhile, Cheyenne managed to get back to Starscream's quarters without being noticed. She hopped onto his berth and decided to wait for him when he got better. Right before he got back, she would repair the cage and get back in; she would act like she was in there the whole time. She looked down at the floor and snorted.

"…I still don't understand why I saved you. My brain was telling me no…but my heart was telling me yes…"


	5. Catching Up

Author's Note: Starscream has recovered from Megatron's beatings, and his servant is there to greet him when he returns. He suddenly starts to wonder if the 'dream' he had was really a dream at all. The lyrics in this chapter are from "Heavy (In Your Arms)" by Florence + The Machine.

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Chapter 5: Catching Up

Cheyenne sat on the berth in Starscream's room and wondered exactly how long she had been waiting for him. It had to have been a few days. Knock Out discovered her out of her cage when he brought her food and water, but she made him promise not to let Starscream know. Reluctantly, he agreed to keep her freedom a secret.

After killing some time by swinging her legs, she heard footsteps and recognized them as Starscream's. She made a dash for the cage and shut herself inside. Of course, she made sure the door was unlocked. After a few seconds, the Seeker entered the room. He glanced over at her before walking to the berth and practically falling down on it.

"…Welcome back, Master." She quietly greeted.

Starscream stared at her in bewilderment. "…Now you call me that without sarcasm? What's gotten into you?"

"Oh…I guess I had a change of heart. Are you okay?"

"…I've had a horrible few days. I've been beaten by Megatron, had my arm blown off, and had to wait too long for a replacement appendage! I also had a dream…that you saved my life. It was when I was out from Megatron's wrath…"

Cheyenne looked at him. "Huh…that's a weird dream. Well, I hope you're starting to feel better."

"Hmph. I'm surprised you're showing concern. I would think that you would be happy if I expired."

"I don't believe in taking enjoyment in even my worst enemy's death. Besides…who else will be the one to finally take me home?"

"Very funny." He paused and stared up at the ceiling until he heard sounds coming from the cage. "What are you doing?"

Cheyenne stopped and brought her eyes back to him. "Oh…I'm singing. I'll shut up if you want."

Starscream shook his helm. "Actually…keep going…I don't mind it."

"Huh, really?"

"Go on before I change my mind."

"Oh, all right…" She relented before taking a deep breath and resuming her singing.

_I was a heavy heart to carry, and my beloved was weighed down._

_My arms around his neck, my fingers laced a crown._

_I was a heavy heart to carry, my feet dragged across the ground._

_And he took me to the river where he slowly let me drown._

_My love has concrete feet_

_My love's an iron ball_

_Wrapped around your ankles over the waterfall._

_I'm so heavy_

_Heavy, heavy in your arms._

_I'm so heavy_

_Heavy, heavy in your arms._

Starscream just listened to her in interest and rested his helm in his hand. It seemed some humans produced vocal sounds that were actually pleasing to the audio sensors, what they called 'singing'. He heard that humans use singing to express emotion, to entertain others, or to just pass the time. Her voice was pleasing and didn't sound like his talons scratching dried paint.

_It isn't worth the wait_

_All this killing time_

_Are you strong enough to stand, protecting both your heart and mind_

_Who is the betrayer?_

_Who's the killer in the crowd?_

_The one who creeps in corridors and doesn't make a sound_

_My love has concrete feet _

_My love's an iron ball_

_Wrapped around your ankles, over the waterfall_

_My love has concrete feet_

_My love's an iron ball_

_Wrapped around your ankles, over the waterfall_

_I'm so heavy_

_Heavy, heavy in your arms_

_I'm so heavy_

_Heavy, heavy in your arms_

The Seeker couldn't help but wonder why the dream he had of her saving him felt so real. Now that he looked at it…the bars on her cage looked like they were recently welded back together. But how could she possibly get out of there? She didn't seem strong enough to break the bars. So why did he have that dream?

_This will be my last confession_

_My love will never be like any blessing_

_Whispering like it's a secret_

_Wanting to condemn the one who hears it with a heavy heart_

_Heavy, heavy_

_I'm so heavy in your arms_

_Heavy, heavy_

_I'm so heavy in your arms_

_I was a heavy heart to carry, and my beloved was weighed down_

_My arms around his neck, my fingers laced a crown_

_I was a heavy heart to carry, my feet dragged across the ground_

_And he took me to the river where he slowly let me drown _

_I'm so heavy_

_Heavy in your arms_

_Heavy_

_I'm so heavy in your arms_

"How was that? I bet you were impressed." Cheyenne shot out with a small smirk.

Starscream looked at her with his crimson optics and then waved his hand. "Not bad…for a human. Perhaps you really aren't so bad to have around."

"Has Megatron figured out that I'm around? Is that why he beat you up?"

"No, and he will never find out that you exist. He decided to punish me for trying to claim his position. He was out of commission, so someone had to take command."

"But you tried to kill him… and from what I heard, that Soundwave or whatever kept you from doing it."

"That's true. Soundwave serves as Megatron's eyes and ears…but with a little bribery, I can make sure Soundwave keeps any of my dark secrets. I'm sure that drone hasn't caught onto you, though."

"Bribery won't always work. That guy seems steadfast in his loyalty to Megatron, unlike you."

"Are you planning on becoming his slave?" Starscream asked darkly.

"No, he creeps me out. I think he might be schizophrenic, because it's like he hears voices in his head." Cheyenne explained.

Starscream pouted. "He's been like that ever since he came into contact with that Dark Energon."

Cheyenne paused and shot her head in Starscream's direction. "…Does Dark Energon happen to be glowing purple rocks that growl at you?"

The Seeker narrowed his optics. "How do you know about it?"

"I've seen rocks like that around a few places I've traveled. I used to get sick if I was around them long enough, but I think I've developed a tolerance towards it. It's the same with regular Energon."

"So…Dark Energon is growing around this planet as well." Starscream concluded. "Can you show me the locations that you found it?"

"Sure, but what are you going to use it for?"

"That's not for you to know."

Cheyenne huffed. "And here I thought I was your secret keeper; that you could tell me anything and I wouldn't spill it."

"Shut up, wretch. Don't forget your place in my optics. I am the master and you are the servant, and you WILL do as I say always! Do I make myself clear?"

Cheyenne looked down and decided not to make him any angrier. "…Yes, Master."


	6. Punishments

Author's Note: Starscream takes his human servant to find supposed Dark Energon growths, hoping to use it to his advantage. But when he finds out some disturbing secrets about the human, he is angry and inflicts severe punishment on her. Will she survive?

* * *

Chapter 6: Punishments

Starscream wondered when they would finally reach the location he desired. He had Cheyenne in the cockpit as they flew to one of the spots that supposedly had Dark Energon growing. The human just sat and stared at the landscapes below them, still having the burning desire to return home to her family and friends. She could just feel that her parents put up missing-persons posters with her face plastered on them. She could see them appearing on television pleading for the kidnapper to return her home. She could see her face among others on a Wal-Mart bulletin board, residing with other missing and possibly-dead people.

"Are we close, human?"

"…Yeah, land right about where that river is."

Starscream swooped down and transformed, catching Cheyenne as she was falling. He sat her down on the ground and commanded, "All right, go find a sample and bring it to me."

"How do you know Megatron hasn't already found it? How do you know it's not been picked clean?"

"If it was, I wouldn't have picked it up on my specialized scanner. Now quit griping and go find it!"

Cheyenne huffed and started walking away from the Seeker to find the Dark Energon. While he wasn't looking, she focused her eyes and they turned blood-red. Her eyesight zoomed through the landscape, the trees, the rocks, and she saw a slab of Dark Energon protruding from the ground.

"I remember where it is. I'll be right back." She turned back to him. "Are you that lazy that you won't get it yourself?"

"I told you that I don't like you asking questions. Now go!"

Cheyenne sighed and ran for the Dark Energon slab. Honestly, she could never understand Starscream no matter how hard she tried. What she did know was that he was a coward, he was mean, he treated her like dirt, and he was basically lazy. If that was so, why did he enjoy her singing? Maybe it was a way to forget that he was treated the same way by Megatron and by that spider-bot, Airachnid. She showed up glued to Breakdown's back and decided to push Starscream around, which seemed to amuse Megatron.

The two of them were basically the same.

The girl felt disgusted with that thought. There was no way she was anything like Starscream. He was selfish, and she was selfless. He was evil and she was good. They could never be anything alike! She decided to just forget the whole thought process she was going through and continued her search for the Dark Energon. She ran and ran until she saw a purple glow emitting from a set of trees. She came out of the trees and found the purple stone sticking out from a fissure.

"I've never seen a Dark Energon rock this big. Well, I'd better get a sample for the slave-driver."

Cheyenne held out her hand and started to tense up her muscles. A hot plasma-like fluid came out and started to form into a shape. The liquid compressed to form a handgun with decals like flames streaking from it. She clicked the gun and fired at the Dark Energon, a chunk of it blasting off. She knew Starscream probably heard the shot, but she didn't really care at the moment. The handgun turned back into plasma that went back into her body and she grabbed the Dark Energon chunk and ran back to Starscream.

"Maybe getting him this will earn me a little freedom. Maybe he'll finally let me go home…"

When she came back to Starscream, he didn't look too pleased about something. He noticed her and gave her a sharp glare. "I heard a gunshot. There must be other humans in this area…"

Cheyenne cringed. "I-I didn't hear anything. Maybe it was your imagination."

"No, I heard something. Are you hiding something from me?"

"O-Of course not!"

Starscream suddenly realized how much time had passed since she went to fetch the Dark Energon. "How did you get a sample in such a short amount of time!? It would've taken you hours just trying to fracture it!"

"I got lucky, I guess?"

Starscream leaned dangerously close to her and growled. "Don't lie to me, human!

"I'm not lying! It was fractured and a piece just broke off!"

The Seeker grabbed her and held her by her wrists. She flailed her legs in an effort to get loose or weaken his grip, but to no avail. She watched as he took his talons, along with part of his palm, and swatted her across her lower back and butt. It felt like he had fractured some of her bones and she screamed in pain. Not satisfied, he swatted her again and her screams got louder.

"You've been a bad human! You know better than to lie to me!" Starscream screamed. "TELL THE TRUTH!"

Cheyenne wept bitterly and looked at him with burning tears. "Okay! I had a gun on me and I shot at the Dark Energon! I can also make my eyes turn red; that's how I knew where to find it! I'm sorry!"

"Say it again! Say it and really mean it, you wretch!"

"I'M SORRY! I'M BEGGING YOU TO STOP! Please…" Cheyenne sobbed.

Starscream looked at her. "Where is your gun!?"

Cheyenne managed to loosen one of her hands and formed the gun like she did before and brought it back into her hand. Starscream looked at her with amazement. "How are you able to do that?"

The human sniffled with her back still stinging in pain. "It's a genetic mutation I've had for over two years. I can do other things besides that… It was how I was able to break out of my cage and save you from going into cardiac arrest!"

The Seeker's optics widened at those words. "So…it wasn't a dream after all… Still, you've been lying to me…and you'll have to be punished."

Cheyenne furiously shook her head. "NO! I'm sorry! Don't hurt me again, I'm begging you!"

It was too late. Starscream swatted her a third time and she screamed until she lost her voice. She just dangled in his grip, looking at the ground with a blank stare and her back and buttock area bleeding. The Seeker looked at the human and poked her, but she didn't respond. He poked her again…and still no response. He gritted his dental plating.

"Don't you die on me, human… I still have use for you…"

"…"

"You can take more than that, I believe. Start talking for once!"

"…"

"…H-Human? Why won't you answer me!? HUMAN! ENOUGH WITH THIS INSOLENCE!"

Starscream spread her out on the ground and tried to figure out what to do. He noticed the peculiar pendant resting on her chest, a heart-shaped amulet with a crimson jewel in the center, which started glowing. All of a sudden, her body convulsed and she made noises. He took notice of her spine re-adjusting and the blood on her drying and disappearing. Finally, she panted and looked up at him.

"…W-What are you…?"

Cheyenne continued to pant and glared at him. "…Don't you do that to me ever again. Now I can only come back seven more times. Those swats tore my arteries and made me bleed, and you broke my spine. Fortunately, when I come back, any damage to my body is repaired." She paused and sighed. "I'm sorry I lied to you, okay?"

"Are you telling me…I killed you and you came back to life?"

"Well, yeah. There are more people like me, but I'm a special one. I can die and come back to life up to nine times. I've now died two times, so I can come back seven more times."

"Why didn't you tell me you had those abilities?"

"I thought you would use me for that, Master. Just like you use everyone else…"

Starscream just stared at her. He didn't realize how much of his personality he had exposed the human to. She saw him use Eradicons, Knock Out, even Breakdown, so she decided to keep her powers a secret and protect herself from being a pawn. He saw a little bit of himself in her; he didn't want to be Megatron's pawn. He cleared his vocal processor and gently picked her up.

"Well…just for the record…I'm not going to make you abuse your powers. At the same time…promise me you'll never lie to me again."

"…I promise…" Cheyenne mumbled.

"Louder, human." Starscream commanded.

"I promise, Master."


	7. Intolerance

Author's Note: The human servant goes in search of her master at an abandoned mine when he fails to return. While there...she has a personal encounter with Megatron. What does she do, and will she be able to find her master in time? Takes place during Rock Bottom.

* * *

Chapter 7: Intolerance

"Master? Master, are you there?"

Cheyenne had gotten back from sneaking around and was currently searching for Starscream. Since the Dark Energon scouting incident, he deemed her fit enough to be out of the cage and wander around certain parts of the ship. It was still kept that the only ones who knew of her existence were Starscream and Knock Out. The medic still brought her food and water and took her to a place to use the bathroom if needed. Lately, Starscream was taking more of that responsibility than he usually did; he actually never did except one time, and that was when she was on the verge of death.

"Master? Where are you?"

"Are you looking for Starscream?" A voice called out.

Cheyenne turned around and saw Knock Out approaching her, making sure there was no one else there. The human walked up to him and asked, "Do you know where he is?"

"Megatron took him to an old mining sight. They left just a few minutes ago."

Cheyenne felt a knot form in her stomach. If Megatron made him go, then there was sure to be trouble. "Can I be able to catch up to him?"

"Not on foot, but I could bridge you there."

"…Bridge me there? How do you intend to do that?"

"It's called a groundbridge. It can transport you anywhere around this planet in just seconds. But…for me to bridge you, I'll have to sneak you past the others. Can you be quiet enough for us to get by?"

The human nodded. "I won't make a sound."

A few moments later Knock Out strolled down the hall with a metal box that had a few holes in it. Any troops that passed by stared at the box for a few kliks but quickly went back to whatever they were ordered to do. Cheyenne stayed dead-silent as she was being transported by the medic to the groundbridge generator. They were mere inches away from it when Knock Out was stopped by a large blue mass.

"Where are you off to, Knock Out?"

Knock Out skidded to a halt and gasped. "B-Breakdown! I'm just…going to dispose of something through the groundbridge. It's much too volatile to dispose of through the incinerator."

"What is it? Let me take a look at it…" Breakdown offered as he reached for the box.

Knock Out quickly pulled the box out of Breakdown's reach, causing Cheyenne to crash against the interior of the metal container. "N-No! That's okay, I can do it!"

Breakdown didn't back off. Instead, he grabbed the metal box from the red Decepticon and proceeded to shake it. He froze when he heard a groan come from it. He immediately opened it and dumped out the human that was contained inside. She stared at Breakdown with wide blue-green orbs.

"What the frag is a human doing on the ship, Knock Out!? Do you know what would happen if Megatron saw it!?" Breakdown shouted as he proceeded to grab Knock Out by the shoulders. "He'll have our HEADS!"

"Quiet, Breakdown!" Knock Out shushed. "Look…you cannot tell anyone about her. She is Starscream's servant, and she just wants to go look for him."

"But he's with Megatron! He's surely gonna find out about her and he'll kill them both!"

"I think she's smart enough to avoid Megatron." Knock Out retorted. "Now come on, let her go."

"Breakdown…let me go find Starscream. I think Megatron's going to try to hurt him…and I don't know why, but my heart is telling me to save him. Please don't let Soundwave and Airachnid find out about me…"

Breakdown grunted and looked at Knock Out. "Fine, I won't tell anyone. But that doesn't mean I'm going to warm up to the fleshbag."

"You don't have to." Knock Out paused and activated the groundbridge. "Go through quickly before someone finds us."

Cheyenne nodded and sprinted through the glowing portal. She found herself out of the Nemesis corridors and near an abandoned mine that recently looked like it had caved in. Cheyenne feared that Starscream was buried underneath the earth and she desperately looked for a way in. She found a narrow tunnel and decided to look inside. Using her powerful vision, she could not only see the vast network underneath the surface, but she could also pierce through the darkness and be able to get through without tripping on a stray rock. While there, she could've sworn she heard additional voices, robotic…and human. She played it off as the caverns trying to play tricks on her. She suddenly came upon a pile of rocks with an opening and some grunting coming out of it. Thinking it was Starscream, she rushed over and went to go help him.

It became clear that this was not Starscream.

"…M…Megatron…" She muttered.

The large mech's face was the only exposed part of his body. He turned to her and growled. "Another human? Just how many humans infest this godforsaken rock?"

Cheyenne stared at him for a few moments before something inside her told her to confront him. She held out her hand and instead of hot plasma, sparks came out and formed into a second gun with decals resembling lightning bolts. She clicked the weapon and aimed it directly at Megatron's face.

"Interesting…a human with superpowers. To what do I owe the pleasure…?"

The human scowled. "I've heard a lot about you…especially the parts where you physically abuse the ones who faithfully serve you when they make one little mistake. How do you sleep at night knowing the things you've done!?"

Megatron scowled as well. "How do you know about me?"

"I have my sources. I think it's about time you paid for your crimes… You've caused enough pain and misery for too long."

To her surprise, Megatron just chuckled. He leered at her and stated in his sinister voice, "I knew that Starscream was hiding something…but I didn't realize he was getting soft with a human rat! No wonder he's been spending longer than usual in his quarters!"

"What did you intend to do to him…?"

"I brought him here…because having him around was getting boring…so I intend to terminate him once I get free. For all I know, he's somewhere around here buried under rubble like I am."

Cheyenne looked at the network of tunnels and decided to resume her search for the Seeker. She glanced at Megatron and warned, "I'll be back for you later…"

"Oh, take your time, vermin…" Megatron replied with great sarcasm. "It's not like I'm going much of anywhere!"

However, given enough time, Megatron knew he could somehow escape; he just wanted to lull the human into a false sense of security. Then when she and Starscream least expected it, he would slaughter them both, Starscream because of his treachery and the human because he simply hated humans.

Cheyenne continued to run and search for her master. She had to get to him before Megatron somehow dug himself free from his rocky prison. She knew the Decepticon leader would kill them both once he found them, so she prayed she could help him get out before they could be discovered. Was there no end to the tunnels and caverns? She groaned when it felt like she had traveled miles to no avail.

"Master! If you can hear me, say something!" She hollered down one of the tunnels.

"…Human!?" A faint voice called.

Cheyenne breathed a sigh of relief and ran faster. "Master, I found you!" Her happiness faded when she finally reached the Seeker's location. "…What happened to you?"

Starscream was currently holding up the ceiling of the cavern in which he was in, like Atlas holding up the Earth in Greek mythology. His thin frame was not enough to keep this up; at any moment it would collapse and crush him. His arms and legs were shaking profusely and Cheyenne figured she needed to act fast.

"How did you get like this?"

Starscream groaned. "Those…Autobots! They cornered me and forced me to take the large one's place! I can't hold this up forever!"

Cheyenne summoned both of her guns and pointed them at the ceiling. "Watch out Master, I'm going to shoot at this and lighten your load."

The Seeker looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you insane!? That's a death sentence for you! If you shoot those rocks, they'll crush you in an instant!"

The human lowered her guns and just stared at him with hopeless eyes. She happened to glance over to the side and saw an opening. She turned back to Starscream and stated, "I'll try to contact Knock Out and see if we can get some help!"

When she turned to run out of the entrance, she stopped dead in her tracks when she came upon the towering figure she hoped to never see again. Megatron was there looking around and didn't seem to notice her presence at first. His focus was more on Starscream's helplessness.

"I…I did not abandon you, Master! I returned…to save you!" Starscream pleaded.

"Save me?" Megatron asked with criticism.

Cheyenne knew Starscream was really going to let Megatron die…but she also knew he wanted to regain his respect. But with Megatron finally learning of her existence…would that be possible?"

"Look into my spark, Lord Megatron! My intentions were true! Please…HAVE MERCY!"

Cheyenne looked at Megatron and decided enough was enough. She walked up to him and tightened her hands into fists. "Now look here! He's begging for mercy and you just don't care! What is your problem!? Isn't it enough that he came back for you!? At least have some decency to get him out of here! If not…then your nothing but a foolish and prideful jerk!"

Megatron glared at the human before turning his attention back to Starscream. He looked at him for a moment before a sinister smirk appeared on his scarred face…


	8. Breaking Point

Author's Note: Takes place during "Partners". Starscream has been demoted and his human servant chained to the wall. When she escapes, she once again pursues her master. However, she witnesses a confrontation involving the Seeker and the Autobots...along with a familiar face.

* * *

Chapter 8: Breaking Point

"I have been a fool…made mistakes…monumental ones…" Starscream sadly stated to the blank screen that was Soundwave. "I now realize that I was never destined to be a leader…or even an equal partner…and I'm at peace with that."

Cheyenne stared at him from her new prison, which was chained to a wall. She shook her head and whispered to herself, "…No you're not…"

"I have now gained a clear understanding of my place in this universe. Of who I am. Of who I was always meant to be." Starscream turned around to once again face Soundwave. "Starscream, second in command, humble servant to Lord Megatron. Thank you for listening, Soundwave…"

As Starscream went to leave the room, Cheyenne grunted and called out, "So that's it, huh? You're just going to submit yourself to him…and just make yourself a failure!? You know you're more than that!"

Starscream wore an expressionless face and stared at her. "…Does it look like I have a choice, human…? I am trying to change myself…to regain the dignity I once had…and the redemption in Megatron's eyes…"

"You call that dignity!? If you just submit yourself and accept that he's better than you…then you're as pathetic as he is."

The Seeker's optics widened. "What makes you think he is pathetic?"

"He has to bully others to make himself powerful. But…I feel like he's in as much pain as you are… He's really pathetic because he's going about coping the wrong way…and so are you."

Starscream didn't answer back; he just continued on to go to the main deck. However, what Cheyenne said bothered him deeply. Was he really more than a failure? Could he possibly make some kind of a difference in this universe? Was he giving up too easily? Either way…he felt like his spark was in turmoil over his emotions… He hadn't felt like this since losing his partner…

Cheyenne looked to see Soundwave still in the room. She decided, even if he didn't bother to answer, she would at least try to reason with him.

"Are you supposed to be Megatron's watchdog? Honestly, you're so pathetic because you're overzealously loyal to him!"

"…"

"I want you to let me go! Megatron is going to hurt him, and I have to stop him!"

"…"

"If you won't talk to me, then let me talk to Knock Out! He and Starscream are the only ones around here that listen to me!"

Soundwave just stood there for a few moments before he left the room. Cheyenne figured that he didn't bother to listen to her request. But then…the doors opened and Knock Out came in. He huffed a sigh and locked eyes with the human.

"Honestly, why do you always turn to me whenever you don't get your way?"

"Knock Out…please get me out of here… I need to go and find Starscream." She paused and looked towards the door. "Don't you realize how pathetic he's become ever since the mine incident? He's not the bot I met anymore! I know he's hurt me in the past; he's hurt a lot of people in the past! But that doesn't mean that he's nothing! He's more than what Megatron tells him he is!"

"…We would like to stand up to Megatron…don't think we never tried. He knows our weaknesses…but he wasn't always like this."

"…What are you talking about?"

"Megatron was once kind…but grief-stricken. When the war first started, he lost his wife and ended up being a single father to their daughter. Starscream, before the war, was actually the girl's protector, and they were extremely close. But then an accident happened…and his daughter was lost from us…forever. Starscream was so angry he blamed Megatron for it. After that, something changed in Megatron…and he put on a mask of a cold and ruthless monster to hide his pain."

"…" Cheyenne stood silent for a moment before deciding to speak again. "That doesn't mean I'm going to feel sorry for him! Get me out of here now!"

Knock Out stood emotionless in front of her. Cheyenne feared once again her pleas fell on deaf audio sensors. Then, without warning, the medic took out a laser scalpel and cut the chains that bound her. She hopped down and rubbed the red marks on her wrists before staring back up at Knock Out.

"If you tell anyone I did this, you'll end up on my biopsy table." Knock Out warned.

The girl smiled at the red Decepticon. "…Thank you."

Cheyenne honestly didn't know how she managed to get past Megatron and activate the groundbridge to find Starscream. She wound up in a wasteland and saw some approaching vehicles on a pathway towards a stone arch. There was a yellow sports car, a green ATV van, a blue motorcycle, a large red semi, and a pink smart car. All of them stopped at the path and…transformed into robots like Starscream. There seemed to be three guys and two girls…and one of the girls looked eerily familiar.

She looked just like one of the girl robots in the picture on Starscream's wall.

She focused her eyes and her ears to see if she could hear their conversation. She could clearly see what was going on, but couldn't hear a thing. She saw Starscream being dragged out of the leader's trailer and the pink bot scolding the green one. The yellow, green, and red ones went through the arch and left the blue and pink ones to look after Starscream. The pink one suddenly got a call or something and ran off somewhere to take it, leaving Starscream with the tough-looking blue one.

"What's going on…? Why is Starscream in cuffs? Are those the Autobots I've heard him talk about? They really didn't look evil…" Her thoughts shifted when the blue Autobot started to show blades at Starscream. "Whoa, what's her problem? I'd better get a closer look…"

Cheyenne crept closer to finally hear what they were talking about and why that blue Autobot was going to attack the Seeker.

"Okay! Okay, it was mistake! I've made many, but I've changed!" Starscream cried out. "You wouldn't terminate a defenseless prisoner, would you…?"

The blue Autobot glared at him and suddenly threw what looked like a key down on the ground. Starscream looked at it with fear. "What…what is that?"

"The key to your cuffs!"

"What for!?"

"Cliff would've given you a fighting chance."

"No, please, I don't want to! What's past is past! I'm one of you now!"

Whoa, wait a minute. Starscream was an AUTOBOT now? Did he switch sides because he really wanted to and was tired of Megatron's crap…or was he trying to lull them into a false sense of security so he could get away? Either way, things did not look good. She looked back and saw that Starscream managed to swipe at the blue Autobot and managed to get himself free from the cuffs.

"Something wrong, Arcee? I thought you wanted a fight." Starscream jeered.

Cheyenne watched the fight unfold with great excitement. She never saw Starscream in action, so she could finally see how he fought. He mostly relied on those talons of his, but she never saw him use his missiles…and he certainly couldn't fly with his wings clamped up. The excitement got the better of her as she loudly cheered, "You can win, Master! Show her what you're made of!"

Starscream turned his head and looked in the direction of the human. His optics widened and he shouted, "H-Human!? How did you get free!?"

Arcee glared at Starscream. "You've taken a human hostage!? Now you've gone to an all-time low!"

Starscream spat Energon. "As if you ever cared about humans! I treat that human better than I've seen you treat yours!"

"Don't you dare bring Jack into this! This is about getting closure; this is about avenging the partner YOU slaughtered!"

"You think you're the only one who lost a partner!? You think you're the only one who's experienced losing someone you cared for more than anything in the world!?"

"What are you talking about!?" Arcee demanded.

Starscream looked up at the sky and frowned. "…Bladecharge…before I met Mimicus…she was the only femme that meant the universe to me… I…I wanted to be her sparkmate…but she died before I could ask her to become bonded with me…"

"Well, maybe she shouldn't have been weak!" Arcee taunted.

Cheyenne heard enough and she leapt out of her hiding spot and summoned a gun and pointed it at Arcee. "Hey, I know you're hurt, but that gives you no right to smear someone's name when they can't defend themselves! You don't know Starscream like I do! Sure, he can be a jerk…but how else is he supposed to deal with the pain? You're going about it the wrong way by being obsessed with revenge!"

Without thinking, Arcee angrily knocked Cheyenne to the side, knocking her out. Starscream saw this and glared dangerously at the Autobot. "How dare you harm my servant!"

Cheyenne didn't know how much time had passed since she was thrown to the wayside. She woke up to see the pink Autobot trying her best to get her hands around Arcee's neck, which was confusing because they were supposed to be on the same side. She shook her head and focused on what they were saying.

"Mimicus, what's gotten into you!?"

"SHUT UP! It was because of you guys that my home was destroyed…that Cybertron was destroyed! My mother was taken away…my father thinks I'm dead…and now you try to kill the most important person to me! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

Something was off about Mimicus. Earlier, she seemed sweet and timid. But now…she was out for blood and was, bluntly, mad as Hell. She seemed really close to Starscream and was getting back at Arcee for trying to kill him. Cheyenne couldn't blame her; she would've done the same. There was something about Mimicus' new killer instinct that reminded her of someone she desperately wanted to forget, and she suddenly remembered the story Knock Out told her. A sickening conclusion clicked in her head.

Mimicus is Megatron's long-lost daughter.

She suddenly saw the yellow Autobot looking down at Arcee, Starscream, and Mimicus. Arcee looked at what she had been doing and immediately backed off. Mimicus looked at her reflection in some of Arcee's spilled Energon and gasped with tears welling up in her optics. Starscream got up and staggered off while Arcee slumped to the ground and Mimicus ran away in quiet sobs. The human just sighed and fidgeted with the strand of hair that covered her eye.

"…What the heck just happened..?"


	9. Second Chances

Author's Note: After the confrontation with the Autobots, Starscream decides to leave the Decepticons and go neutral. He must also consider the future of his servant, and finds peace when another decides to join his cause. The song lyrics in this story are from "Northern Lights" by Cider Sky.

* * *

Chapter 9: Second Chances

Starscream sat on a rocky ledge around the area he fought Arcee and just stared at the full moon. He had just gotten back from sneaking onto the Nemesis and collecting some of his prized possessions…which included the photograph of himself, Bladecharge and Mimicus, along with some of his schematics. As of that moment…he wanted nothing else to do with the Autobots or Decepticons. For all he cared, they could all go to the Pit and burn. But…he never saw his dearest friend act so savage; she must've inherited Megatron's ferocity. He just sighed and looked at the cold orb that illuminated the sky.

"…What am I going to do now…?" He whispered to himself.

He turned around when he heard rocks cracking, like when a human shoe stepped on them. He sighed and realized it was Cheyenne coming to check on him. The Seeker jumped down and grunted. "Why did you come back?"

"Aren't I your eternal slave? Aren't I supposed to come back?"

Starscream turned away and crossed his arms over his chest. "…You are free to go, if that is what you wish."

Cheyenne's face softened. "…What?"

"I said that you're no longer my slave; as of this day, you're a free human! I…I just need to be alone for a long time…"

"And here I thought bringing over a friend you cheer you up. I found Mimicus…and she wants to catch up."

Starscream turned around and saw the pink femme stepping out of the shadows. He gasped and felt his spark start to race. Mimicus' lips trembled before she ran forward and they tightly hugged each other. Cheyenne crossed her arms and smirked. "I don't think you're the only one neutral, Master."

Starscream looked at Mimicus and noticed her Autobot insignia was gone. "What happened to your insignia?"

"I ripped it off. I don't want to be with the Autobots anymore; they never did me any good. If you're going neutral, then I am too." She paused and looked at the human. "I want to thank you for believing in Starscream…but I think he wants you to be free…"

"I don't care; I'm not letting him go at it alone."

Starscream sighed and stared at the human. "Why are you so insistent in remaining as my servant?"

Cheyenne didn't even blink when she answered. "It's because everyone deserves a second chance."

The Seeker was floored by those words. She and Mimicus both believed he deserved a chance for redemption…and they believed that he had worth as a person, not a servant or weapon. He started to realize that in the past few days about the human. Whenever he wanted to get something off of his chestplate, she listened and offered some somewhat-helpful advice. Whenever he felt ill or hurt, she would sing the first song that popped into her head to soothe his processor. She would even show him pictures of her family and friends on her cell phone. Yet at the same time he abused her, called her degrading names, humiliated her, thought of her as filth…and she still felt he could change. She never gave up on him…

"…No one has ever said that to me… Human…Cheyenne, right? I'm sorry…for all the pain and suffering I put you through… Are you…able to forgive me…?"

Cheyenne chuckled. "Starscream…I forgave you a long time ago. Oh…I forgot to call you 'Master'…"

The Seeker offered up a small smile. "…That's quite all right… From now on…just call me Starscream. I'm no longer your master…I'm your partner."

Mimicus joined in. "No…WE'RE your partners."

Starscream looked down at his Decepticon insignia. He latched onto it with his sharp talons and started to pull. After a moment, the emblem snapped off and left a small Energon leak that trickled down his chestplate. He proceeded to hand the emblem to Mimicus and closed her hand around it.

"I think you'd be better off taking care of it. You're better at that than I am…"

Mimicus nodded and looked at the moon and the stars. "So…where do we go now? I can't go back to the base and you can't go back to the Nemesis…"

"…I don't know, Mimicus. I don't know where we would be safe from the likes of them both."

Cheyenne cleared her throat and stepped forward. "I know a place you guys could lay low for a while. It's kinda isolated and very few people are there, so you shouldn't have any problems."

"Where is it?" Mimicus asked.

"It's at my house."

Starscream gave her an odd look. "Wouldn't it be odd that you show up at home after going missing for almost a month with a jet and an automobile in tow?"

"Don't worry, my parents are used to strange things from me. I called them earlier and let them know that I'm okay and I could come home as soon as I can. I don't think they'll mind two giant robots after some of the things I've been through." Cheyenne explained.

"What are the coordinates to your home?"

The human bit her lip. "Uh…I'm not good with exact coordinates, and I'm not good with giving a specific description…"

Mimicus wasted no time in leaning over and touching the tip of her talon to the human's chest, right where her heart was. The femme stood silent for a few moments before rising up and stating, "I know the coordinates. Just follow me."

Cheyenne just stood there, not sure about what just happened. "Okay…how did she suddenly know where I live?"

Starscream looked at her and decided to explain. "Mimicus has the power to read sparks…and it seems she can also read the hearts of humans. She can see your thoughts, your memories, the desires of the heart…anything related to it."

"Huh…kinda like forming a kinship. For some reason, I'm able to touch the hearts of those I meet…as long as they're filled with good intentions. I think now that also counts for giant alien monsters." She paused and stared at him. "Just to help lift your spirits, I'll call you Master just for the heck of it."

"You're an odd human, do you know that?"

"I get that a lot."

"Are you two coming or not?" Mimicus impatiently asked. "We need to go before anyone else figures out we're here!"

"We're coming, Mimicus!" Starscream called before transforming into a jet. "Get in."

The human complied and hopped into the cockpit. Starscream quickly took off and allowed Mimicus to show him the way. As she drove and he flew, he could hear the human start singing again.

_Every time I close my eyes_

_I can touch the colors around me_

_Suddenly I realize_

_That everything I thought was impossible _

_Is here, and my heart sings_

_In a world so incredible_

_And everything burns much brighter_

_I wanna fly_

_Into this beautiful life_

_I think it'd be nice with you_

_I wanna fly_

_Into this beautiful life_

_I think it be nice with _

_You_

_With you_

_With you_

_With you_

Starscream couldn't explain it, but the songs Cheyenne sang…soothed his spark. Normally, the only things that could warm his spark were killing Autobots, killing Megatron, and his memories with Mimicus and Bladecharge. But the killing parts disappeared from his mind, and he didn't know why he was changing so much.

_Fingertips_

_Northern lights_

_Tracing colors right through the sky_

_Underneath a lullaby_

_I never felt as blissful as I do here_

_And my heart sings_

_In a world so incredible_

_And everything shines much brighter_

_I wanna fly_

_Into this beautiful life _

_I think it'd be nice with you_

_I wanna fly_

_Into this beautiful life _

_I think it'd be nice with_

_You_

_With you_

_With you_

_With you_

The Seeker had to make himself process what happened for almost a month to understand why he felt…so…happy right now. Was it because he was back with Mimicus and could protect her again? Was it because the human decided to forgive him? Or…was it because he was being reminded of Bladecharge? Well…Cheyenne did act a little like Bladecharge. She always looked out for him and helped him mend his ways when he did something wrong.

_Set the night on fire if we want to_

_Hanging out with the stars and the big moon_

_A very well thank you, how do you do_

_Set the night on fire if we want to _

_Hanging out with the stars and the big moon_

_Burn them down for a dance with your life soon_

_I think it'd be nice with_

_You_

_With you_

_With you _

_With you_


	10. Welcome Home

Author's Note: Starscream takes his servant back to her family, and uses her property as refuge. But what happens when they get an unexpected visitor?

* * *

Chapter 10: Welcome Home

"Is this really where you live, human?" Starscream asked. "It's…rather small."

"Hey, it's what we could afford. We built this house from the ground up; the hardest part was getting the land. I've lived here for almost ten years."

Starscream studied Cheyenne's home base from his vehicle form. It was a one-story facility that included what was called a 'porch' and a larger section called a 'garage', along with what was called a 'patio' in the back. There were two automobiles parked on the side next to a line of trees. In fact, fields and trees surrounded the area, a good place for keeping secrets like him. Dozens of furry animals scurried around, what the human referred to as 'cats'. He had to be careful not to skim on the electrical wires suspended above-ground.

"Let me out right here and wait for me to give you the okay."

"Are you sure? We haven't touched the ground yet."

"Don't worry, I have good reflexes."

Starscream reluctantly complied and opened the hatch. Cheyenne stepped out and jumped, landing on the ground with a nimble gait. She proceeded to run up to the front door and knock on it. A moment passed before a short blonde-haired woman answered the door and gasped.

"Cheyenne, is that you!?"

"Yeah Mom…I'm home."

The woman screamed and hugged the girl tightly. Cheyenne blushed and gave an awkward smile. The elder woman sniffled and mumbled, "Where have you been!? You've been gone almost a month; we were worried sick!"

"Well…let's just say I got into a sticky situation. I'm just glad to be home, and don't worry, I won't be going anywhere for a while."

Her mother took notice of her chest. "Honey, how did you hurt yourself? Is that a cult symbol?"

"Of course not! I'll explain later; is Dad home?"

Cheyenne got her answer when a taller man with graying hair came and embraced her. "…We'd thought we lost you, girl…"

"I don't go down that easily, Dad…" Cheyenne comforted before clearing her throat. "Mom, Dad, there's someone I want you to meet. While I was gone…I made a friend. Before you say anything, I'm not cheating on Thrax; I would never do that." She waved her hand out the door, which was followed by the ground shaking. "Come outside, please."

The girl's parents nervously followed her outside, where they finally learned they've seen just about everything. Standing before them was a metallic giant with leery crimson eyes. "This is Starscream. He's…well…he's the reason I've been gone."

Without warning, Cheyenne's mother started to angrily pound her fists on the Seeker's legs. "You took our baby from us! How could you!? How could you kidnap her and take her from us!? You MONSTER!"

"Mom, calm down! Starscream's not like that anymore; he's good now!" She paused and sighed. "Look…he needs a place to stay, and I figured this is the best place. Plus, he has a friend and she needs some shelter, too."

Starscream decided he stayed silent long enough when he carefully walked forward. "Human…you have every right to be angry with me for taking your daughter away. If you do not forgive me, I understand. But I am sorry for all the trouble I've caused…" He snorted and looked down at the grass drifting over his pedes. "I think that's about all that I'm good at…"

"Starscream, quit being so hard on yourself!" Cheyenne scolded. "Look, you may not believe it, but I fully understand how you feel! Being so hard on yourself won't make things any better!"

The Seeker stared at the human with his lower lip trembling. Could a human really understand what he felt and what he was going though? Her mother sheepishly cleared her throat and addressed Starscream's attention.

"I'm sorry for my outburst. You see, Cheyenne is an only child. The thought of losing her…well, it makes me act a little crazy sometimes. If you had a child, I'm sure you would understand…"

Starscream nodded. "…I'm sure I would. I believe I've learned a lot from your daughter… She taught me that everyone deserves a second chance…and she has something I forgot I had."

"What's that?" Cheyenne asked.

"…Empathy."

Cheyenne blinked and soon her lips formed a smile. "…Empathy, huh? I didn't know I had that quality…"

The night came and almost all of the humans were in bed to prepare for the following day. Cheyenne couldn't sleep, however. Dressed in a black tank top and pajama shorts, she placed on her Hello Kitty boots and decided to stroll outside to the back yard. That was where Starscream was currently slumbering in his robot mode. She looked to see him sprawled out, laying almost on his stomach with his head resting in his arms. His wings twitched every once in a while to the sounds of chirping crickets or barking dogs. The human had with her a wool blanket and she offered a yawn as she took a seat next to his side. However, it seemed her touch brought him out of his slumber.

"…What are you doing out here, human? I thought you had to be indoors to recharge…"

"No…I'm able to sleep wherever… I just came to see how you were doing… Mimicus is fast asleep in the garage; Dad just had to move his fishing boat."

"…As long as she's comfortable, I don't care where I have to sleep."

"You two are close. How did you two get to be such good friends?"

Starscream locked his eyes onto the stars. "…I met here when she was a young child. Remember when you asked me why I had blue eyes in that photo? Well, Mimicus is a special race of Cybertronian called an Arcadian, and I used to be one. You see, I was once a street thief, and I stole from her mother, who was the leader of all Arcadians. When I stole from her, my punishment was to become Mimicus' personal guard. I hated it at first, but Mimicus and I bonded and we were basically invincible." He paused and narrowed his optics. "But then our home was destroyed…and we lost our friend, Bladecharge, along with Mimicus' mother, and in my anger, I allowed myself to be de-converted to an average Cybertronian."

"That's why your eyes are red now…and is that why you became a Decepticon?"

"Partly. Mimicus was also a Decepticon, and I still kept her safe when her father didn't."

"Megatron's her dad, isn't he?"

"I guess it was easy for you to figure out. After some time together, Mimicus was thought to have perished in an accident. But…now that I look at it, it was no accident. She was injured and pushed off of our ship. I felt angry at myself, but blamed Megatron for not protecting her. As a result, I was continuously mocked and put down, not to mention physically punished, by him."

"He didn't like it that you blamed him. I guess he felt just as guilty, but didn't want to admit it." Cheyenne concluded.

Starscream nodded but suddenly shot up when he heard a rustling noise in the trees. Cheyenne also shot up and prepared to summon her handguns. Some of the trees parted…and a familiar face emerged.

"…Knock Out?" Starscream asked.

"I thought I would find you with the human. Megatron pretty much figured you went solo…and he replaced you with Airachnid."

Starscream snorted. "Typical of him; he's easily manipulated by a femme like her." He paused and didn't let up on his glare. "What in the name of Primus are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd just drop by and check out your new digs. Quite a…humble abode she has here."

"What, is it too country for your taste, Knock Out?" Cheyenne retorted. "I actually prefer to keep it simple, for comfort and financial reasons. You're more of the type that prefers the bright lights and big city."

Starscream suddenly noticed something Knock Out was pulling out of his back compartment. "What is that you have there?"

Knock Out smirked and pulled out a vial that contained a glowing blue liquid. "Brought you some high-grade I stashed away for a special occasion. Figured you could use something to celebrate your new freedom. Breakdown and I are hitting the road tomorrow, so we're hanging out at a place humans race these things called 'ATVs'. We have some too, so don't worry about us."

"I think I know where you're staying. It used to be a lumber mill, but the high-school kids ride their four-wheelers there. It's on the way to my old high school. You two be careful on your trip."

"I'm surprised you show us concern, human. Well, you've been the most sympathetic to us 'Cons." He turned around and offered a flippant wave. "Catch you two later."

Starscream rolled his eyes and turned back to Cheyenne. "Why don't you head back inside? It's not pretty to see me intoxicated…"

Cheyenne sighed with a smirk. "Oh, all right, Master. I'll see you in the morning."

Starscream waited for Cheyenne to re-enter her house before he popped open the vial of high-grade and chugged it down. It tasted funny as he drunk it down; like it had an extra ingredient in it. Whatever that ingredient was, it sent him into a coughing fit. He slowly laid back down, still coughing and hacking, and he didn't even remember blacking out…


	11. Empathy

Author's Note: After drinking the high-grade offered by Knock Out, Starscream wakes up to some alarming side-effects. How did it happen, and how will his human servant and Mimicus cope?

* * *

Chapter 11: Empathy

Starscream groaned when he finally felt himself coming to. Whatever was in that high-grade made it stronger than ever; no wonder he had such a coughing fit. He opened his eyes and realized it was morning, but the sunlight hurt more than usual. Something wasn't right.

"What…what's going on? Something doesn't feel right…"

Starscream rose his hands up in the air…and saw that they were no longer composed of wires and metal like they should have been.

They were composed of human flesh.

"…My hands! What happened to my hands!?"

Starscream scrambled to get to his knees. He looked over and saw a discarded windshield from a car Cheyenne's father once helped fix. He crawled to it and looked to see if he was okay or if he was hallucinating. It was neither.

The Seeker looked at his reflection and did not like what he saw. He had a head of black hair and a dot of it on his chin. He had brown eyes and a nose displayed itself on the center of his fair-skinned face. He looked saw he had long arms and legs along with a long torso. How could this have happened to him?

"Starscream! What happened to you!?" A voice called.

Starscream looked to see Cheyenne running towards him. When she came up to him, he stared at her and asked, "…How did you know it was me?"

"…I don't know how, but I can recognize your scent. But…how did you become a human? Was it that stuff Knock Out gave you?"

"…It had to have been. But I don't think he even knew that someone slipped something in it. There's a chance his was tampered with, too…" He paused and smacked his face a little bit to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "Just look at me! I'm made of flesh, blood, and bone! I'm…I'm hideous!"

"Uh, Starscream…that's not the bad part."

"What the worst thing about this!?"

Cheyenne covered the eye that wasn't enshrouded by hair and blushed. "…You're naked."

Starscream looked down and confirmed what Cheyenne made obvious. His interfacing equipment was not protected by a crotch-plate like it was in his robot form. The girl abruptly got up and muttered, "Stay there, I'll go get you a towel…"

The Seeker stayed put until she returned with a large cloth to cover his crotch and buttocks. The girl smirked and calmly stated, "You're lucky some little kids didn't see your package. Let's get you inside; maybe smarty-pants will know what to do."

"…Smarty-pants?"

"Mimicus. She would know more about this than I would."

Cheyenne opened the garage door and found Mimicus still asleep. She patted on the hood and shouted, "Rise and shine, Mimicus!"

The femme moaned and slowly transformed, followed by a tired glare at the female human. She blinked her optics and stared at the second human next to Cheyenne. She leaned in closer to examine him and asked, "…Who's this?"

"Don't you recognize Starscream when you see him?"

Mimicus' mouth hung open. "…S-Starscream!? H-How…how did he become human!?"

"We were hoping you could help answer that. I think this happened to him after he drank that high-grade Knock Out gave him." She paused when she saw Mimicus gasp. "Yeah, Knock Out paid us a visit last night. Anyway, I think someone spiked it and I don't think it was Knock Out. I would've seen it in his eyes if he intentionally drugged it."

The femme pulled a scanner out of her hip compartment and took a quick scan of Starscream's human body. She waited a few moments before the device beeped and displayed the findings. Her aquamarine optics scanned over the data and a scowl formed on her face.

"This is not good."

"What did you find, Mimicus?" Starscream nervously asked.

She held the scanner screen in front of his face. "I recognize this chemical. It's both a sedative and morphogenic serum that was invented by the Decepticons just a few years ago. When it's ingested by a Cybertronian, they are transformed into the most sentient species of the planet they're on. Since you're on Earth, you were transformed into a human." She paused and looked back at the data. "The good news is there wasn't a sufficient amount of serum to make the effects permanent. By my calculations, you'll be a human for just a week."

Starscream groaned. "I have to be a fleshling for an entire week!? I won't be able to last that long!"

Mimicus leaned forward. "Hey, you don't have to go it alone."

Cheyenne watched as the femme took hold of a crystal around her neck and the crystal began to glow and envelop Mimicus in a green light. When the light disappeared, in the femme's place was a preteen girl with red hair in a pink dress. Cheyenne hung her mouth open and rubbed her eyes.

"A-Are you a sorceress?"

Mimicus giggled. "Hardly. It's my Key, and I can use it to change into a human whenever I please."

"…Okay, I'll question this later. Right now we have to focus on getting Starscream some clothes. Let me go get the measuring tape…"

Starscream looked at Mimicus with a raised eyebrow. "…Measuring tape?"

"She wants to take your body measurements to see what kind of clothes will fit you. The question is…where does she have the money to buy clothes?"

Cheyenne came back with long yellow tape and she forced Starscream to hold out his arms and legs as she stretched the tape out and recorded the measurements. She looked over them on a scrap piece of paper and wore a small frown. "Hmm…well, it's obvious you're tall, so probably a medium or large… I've got some money saved from bounties I've collected, so I'm going to get you some clothes. Mimicus, would you turn back into a car and come with me?"

Mimicus paused before using the Key to change back into a robot and converting to her vehicle mode. The girl proceeded to open the garage door and allow the femme to roll out. She turned back to Starscream and stated, "Just go wait in the living room. We'll be back as soon as possible."

"…Do your parents know what's happened?"

"Yeah, I filled them in real quick. If you need to shower or use the bathroom, they'll show you where everything is and how to use it. Just remember to keep your towel on until you get your clothes, okay?"

"…O-Okay…"

Starscream stood and watched as Cheyenne hopped in the driver's seat and the two pulled out and headed down the gravel road. He looked around the garage before carefully walking up the stairs and opening the door. He found the 'living room' and took a seat on what was known as a 'sofa'. Needless to say, it was much more comfortable than the seats on the Nemesis. He pressed his hand down on the cushion and felt it sink in from the pressure but come back up when the pressure lessened. Such odd material…yet so capable of inducing relaxation. His eyes caught the attention of a black-furred creature staring at him with golden orbs. That must be one of those 'cats' Cheyenne always talked about. The creature wasn't afraid of him; it sidled up to him and rubbed its head on his shin. With great caution, he reached his hand down and stroked the cat. The cat responded by halfway-closing its eyes and letting out a strange sound, what was called 'purring'.

"You must be the one she calls 'Shadow'. I don't think you're as bad as she says you are…"

He looked at his hands and feet and decided to get them accommodated to their new functions. He looked at his hands and flexed his fingers; he could do that before so that was easy enough. He looked down at his feet and fought for his nerves to flex his toes. He kept inwardly yelling at his brain to move his toes. After a few moments, his toes finally moved. He didn't think it would be so difficult; then again, he never had toes before. Starscream looked at his back and felt no sensation from his wings; they weren't there anymore, of course. He looked out the window and wondered just how long Cheyenne and Mimicus would be gone…

The two came home just a couple of hours later with several shopping bags in tow. With Mimicus in human form, they both came in to see Starscream sleeping on the couch. Cheyenne grinned and shook him awake. He woke up, drool out of the corner of his mouth, and stated, "…It's about time you got back…"

"Sorry, we wanted to find some stuff that could fit you, and I got Mimicus some clothes too." She handed him one of the bags. "Go into the bathroom and try these on. Don't come out until you're fully clothed."

Starscream peeked into the bag before trudging to the bathroom and seeing whether or not these clothes were suitable. Cheyenne meanwhile handed a bag to Mimicus and took a bag for herself and they went to separate rooms to change clothes. It took about ten minutes for Starscream and Mimicus to figure out how clothes worked and whether or not they were pleased with the way they looked.

"Are you guys done yet? I want to see how you look!"

Starscream came out first and Cheyenne gave an approving nod. He had on a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark gray sweatpants with black shoes. The sweatshirt covered a black short-sleeved dress shirt and a red tie. Mimicus followed with a pink tank top, white dress pants, and sandals. They looked to see Cheyenne in a short-sleeved shirt with a yellow girl's tie, black pants, black shoes, and a black dress cap.

"Huh, you two look great!" Cheyenne commented.

"Are you sure this 'sweatshirt' is really necessary? I feel hot in this…" Starscream complained.

"Well, the fall is just about over and winter's going to set in, so you need to stay warm. That's why I bought all of us winter outfits. I just got you two clothes to last you a week…and, well, just in case something happened that you remained human."

"You're not hoping I remain a human, do you?" Starscream asked in disbelief.

"Of course not! I want you to be a robot again as much as you do!"


	12. Personal Business

Author's Note: Starscream is still getting used to being human, but finds that he may not be the only affected by his spiked drink...

* * *

Chapter 12: Personal Business

"You know, you don't have to sleep outside. You can bunk on the couch if you want."

Starscream opened his eyes and sleepily stared at Cheyenne, who was standing right above him. He sighed and got up from his spot on the chilly grass and stood up, all the while cracking his joints. "…My apologies."

"Don't apologize; you didn't know. We've got plenty of blankets and pillows to keep you warm; we're supposed to get a rain and snow mix."

Starscream began to walk back with the girl when he heard a rustling in the woods. He turned around and readied his arm to shoot a missile…until it dawned on him he was human and could not shoot missiles. As the rustling got louder, so did a set of voices that appeared to be two men arguing.

"Of all the places we could go, it had to be HERE, didn't it!?"

"Well, we walked so many miles and I don't feel like walking anymore, so shut up!"

"This would've never happened if you just didn't have to offer me a drink!"

Cheyenne relaxed when she recognized the voices. "Hey…that sounds like Knock Out and Breakdown…"

Starscream listened closer. "…You're right…but their voices sound a little different…"

The two stiffened when a duo of figures stepped out of the woods. One was a man with a lanky body and auburn hair sporting red clothing. The other was a tan-skinned man with dark hair and an eyepatch. They looked at Starscream and Cheyenne and stood still.

"Starscream…not you too!" The redhead shouted.

"Knock Out, Breakdown…I see you two have also been humanized."

Breakdown snorted. "Well, you're awful calm about this!"

Starscream stared at them for a moment before walking up and grabbing Knock Out by the hair. The medic yelped as the Seeker dragged him over and shouted, "DID YOU SPIKE MY DRINK, YOU GLITCH!?"

Knock Out loosened Starscream grip and gasped when he saw a small clump of hair in his former Commander's hand. "No I didn't! If I did, I wouldn't be like this myself, now would I!?"

"…True. But if you didn't, who did?" Starscream paused before growling and balling his hand up into a fist. "Airachnid."

"What would be her motive?"

"She wants to get on Megatron's good side, and I believe he wants to punish all of us who were involved with keeping Cheyenne a secret. So what's the perfect punishment? Simple: turn us into humans. Lucky for us, according to Mimicus, she doesn't know how to put in a dose that causes permanent effects."

"So if we drank that stuff at the same time, how long will we be humans, 'Scream?" Breakdown asked.

"Exactly a week from yesterday."

Knock Out sighed in a small sense of relief. "Just six more days…that's a relief." He paused and stared towards the garage. "When you said 'Mimicus'…did you mean Mimicus Prime herself? Is she actually alive?"

"…Yes, she's alive. It was no accident when she was pushed off the ship…and we both know who is responsible."

"Yeah. I haven't seen much of her lately."

"Who are you guys talking about?" Cheyenne cut in.

Starscream frowned. "I'll tell you some other time. Right now we need to find out where to put these two."

"Well…I know a possible place. It's a house up from the one I babysit at; there are tons of rooms. Everyone around here calls it the 'Hotel House'. I'll just tell them they'll be staying for a few days and I'm sure they'll let you guys bunk."

"That would be much appreciated." Knock Out sighed.

Breakdown walked up to the female and studied her appearance. "What's with the new digs?"

"Hey, I can't wear that ratty outfit anymore. Besides, this is in style."

Later in the day Starscream was sitting on the porch gazing at the sky when he noticed Cheyenne getting into one of those automobiles called 'SUVs'. He got off the porch and walked up to the driver's side window. Cheyenne looked over and jumped a little when she saw the Seeker's face.

"Where are you going…?" Starscream asked with great curiosity.

"Oh…I'm just going out to meet with some of my friends. Would you like to come along? I asked Mimicus if she wanted to come, but she's too busy doing smarty-pants stuff." Cheyenne replied.

"Um…I'll come along." Starscream concluded as he hopped into the passenger's seat.

Cheyenne smirked as he closed the door and she proceeded to turn on the ignition and back out of the driveway. She also decided to make a pit stop at the Hotel House and have Knock Out and Breakdown tag along. Knock Out didn't really want to sit in the back seat, until Cheyenne gave him the option of sitting in the cargo. They were on the road for a while until they came across a city illuminated by the night sky.

"What is this place?" Starscream asked.

"This is Danville. I come here all the time. I'm just going to stop by one of the restaurants and see some of my friends."

"How many friends do you have anyway?" Breakdown asked in pure boredom.

"Well, I'm meeting up with Anna, Kaitlyn, Erika, Dakota, and Brenna. They're part of my inner circle. But I have a lot of friends!" She glanced at the 'Cons through the rear-view mirror. "Did you guys ever have a lot of friends back on Cybertron?"

"Lots of friends, and some of us even had families. I had a sister named Noelle and a brother named Knockback. Breakdown had a sister named Drag-Strip, and Starscream had two brothers named Skywarp and Thundercracker. Well, emphasis on 'had'; they supposedly died while he was still a youngling…"

Starscream glared at Knock Out. "Knock Out, I don't want to talk about the traumatic childhood I had…"

Cheyenne decided the conversation was over due to how upset Starscream suddenly became. What happened in his childhood that made him deem it 'traumatic'? Did it have something to do with the death of his brothers? Come to think of it, he started to get a little upset when Knock Out started mentioning their families. Maybe later she would get the chance to talk to him; maybe once he changed back into a robot.

The group arrived at a large restaurant and the 'Cons remained silent as Cheyenne parked the SUV in the parking lot. She unbuckled her seat belt and turned to them. "You guys can come in if you want, or you can wait out in the car. I'll just be here for about ten minutes."

"We shall remain here. We don't need to get close to other humans while we are temporarily in human form." Starscream decided without Knock Out or Breakdown's consent.

The human shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourselves. Just come inside if you need anything."

When Cheyenne left the vehicle and went inside, Knock Out rose up from the seat and gave Starscream a heated glare as he leaned on the driver's seat. "You know I really wanted to check this place out. Thanks for spoiling the evening, fraghead."

Starscream snorted. "Spare me the hissy fit, Knock Out. That's what happens when you try to talk about another's personal life."

"Technically, you're no longer my commanding officer. As I recall, you flew the coop! Now we're basically at the same level!"

"…Don't tempt me to put a few dents in that face you pride over, slagface." Starscream warned as he balled his hand into a fist.

Knock Out cracked his knuckles. "Bring it, glitch!"

Breakdown stepped in and separated the two before they could destroy the inside of the vehicle. "Knock it off, you two! If the human sees you wrecking this vehicle, which clearly belongs to one of her parents, she'll kill us all!" He paused and stared at them. "Knock Out, mind your own business. If Starscream doesn't want us talking about his personal life, then don't. Starscream, don't get so over-reactive; Knock Out didn't know…"

Starscream stared out the window and crossed his arms. "…Whatever."

A little while later Cheyenne finally came out of the restaurant; she had been in there for over half an hour. She looked to see Knock Out and Breakdown asleep in the back seat and Starscream pouting and staring out the window. He didn't shift his attention when she opened got in and started the ignition. The engine running woke the medic and his assistant up.

"…Took you long enough." Starscream growled.

"…I have some bad news, guys. I'll have to drop you all off…and then I have to go to Mexico tonight."

Knock Out blinked his eyes. "Why do you have to go there?"

"My friend Dakota wants me to go with him to track down, well, werewolves. There's been a bunch of attacks on people south of the border and the rumors are that werewolves are responsible." Cheyenne explained.

"Aren't werewolves humans that turn into those four-legged animals? I thought they were just part of your mythology." Breakdown wondered.

"They are. The real cause is werewolf-like super humans. Starscream knows this, but I'm part of a special group of humans called Gene Humans. That means I have a genetic mutation that gives me special powers. Anyway, I think the werewolves are actually Gene Humans that can turn into werewolves…and make others do the same by biting them."

Starscream narrowed his gaze. "How long do you intend to be gone?"

"I don't know; it depends on whether or not we catch them. Once they're apprehended, I'll come home. Just remember to make yourself at home and Mimicus will keep you company. Remember, you just have five or six more days of being human."

"…All right." Starscream reluctantly agreed.


	13. Toxicity

Author's Note: Sorry for not updating sooner. Anyway, while the humanized Starscream awaits the return of his former slave, she returns with injuries that will spark a frightening change in her. The song lyrics used are from "Let's Get Lost" by Beck and Bat for Lashes.

* * *

Chapter 13: Toxicity

"How long has Cheyenne been gone again, Starscream?" Mimicus asked as she sat bored on the loveseat.

Starscream sighed and just wore an annoyed expression at the humanized femme. "I told you already, she's been gone for three days. She won't be back until she catches them. That reminds me that I only have two days left of being human. Still…I figured that she would've tracked them down by now."

"Tracking can usually take days, Starscream. Remember how Hawkeye was a bit of a tracker; sometimes she'd be gone from the base for a week just tracking you and the other Decepticons down. She did the same with the Autobots, but could never find the base until she switched sides."

Starscream snorted. "True. Hawkeye could easily track down Energon deposits, but she could never get her olfactory sensors to find the Autobot base."

Mimicus sat silent for a few moments before she stared back up at Starscream. "Hey…she said that the people she was tracking down could become werewolves. Do you think they might try to make her one?"

"…I don't know, Mimicus. I really don't buy the nonsense of human mythology."

The two stopped when they heard the front door open and close. The closing of the door was followed by the sound of trudging footsteps. Something was wrong; normally when Cheyenne was tired, her footsteps sounded normal. Starscream felt a knot form in his stomach and he rose up to check on the human. He stepped into the hallway and jumped at what he saw.

Cheyenne's clothes were ripped and she had multiple wounds on her body. She didn't even bother to bring her guns back into her body; she just dropped them on the floor and they landed with a loud clank. Her eyes were glassy and full of pain and her hair was standing on end. The Seeker focused his attention back onto her wounds. All of them looked like bite marks left by a large animal, possibly a dog, and they oozed a sinister clear-but-filmy liquid. Mimicus came to Starscream's side and gasped at the sight of the girl. She reached forward to touch Cheyenne but she brought her hand out to stop the humanized femme.

"…No…don't touch!"

"What's wrong Cheyenne? Why don't you want us to touch you?" Mimicus asked.

Cheyenne shakily pointed to her wounds and mumbled, "…V…V…Ve…nom…"

Starscream widened his eyes. "That's venom coming out of you!? You need to get to a hospital!"

Cheyenne hastily shook her head and pushed past them. "I'll…take…a shower…in decontamination…serum…"

The two could only stand and watch as the human fought her way to the bathroom and slammed the door. Starscream and Mimicus glanced at each other and looked back at the bathroom door.

"…You think she'll make it…?" Mimicus asked.

"…She will. She has to…" Starscream replied.

In the bathroom, Cheyenne soaked herself in the water pouring from the shower head and squirted some special soap onto her wounds. However, she knew the venom was already full in her bloodstream…she just didn't want it to contaminate the water supply of everyone else. The serum would neutralize the venom coming from her wounds and prevent it from staying effective in the water. She raised her hand to her forehead and it was burning hot. With her powers, her temperature was a little higher than normal, but she was seriously running a fever. She turned off the shower, dried herself, got her clothes on, and staggered out of the bathroom. When she got to her bedroom, she didn't even realize she had collapsed onto the bed. Starscream and Mimicus quickly came and monitored her condition.

"…Her breathing's really shallow, and did you feel her forehead? She practically burned my hand…" Mimicus stated as she placed a damp rag on Cheyenne's forehead.

Starscream rose the human's head up and placed a glass of water to her lips. He tilted the glass up to allow the water into her mouth. Cheyenne used the little strength she had to swallow the liquid. The Seeker laid her head back down and covered her up with a light blanket. He placed his hand on Mimicus' shoulder and led her and himself out of the room.

"Come on Mimicus…we need to let her rest."

Cheyenne started to fall asleep despite feeling like she couldn't breathe. She felt like she could hear her heart pounding in her head and it was strong enough to cause her body to convulse. Sweat poured down her face and her eyes twitched under her eyelids. She dug her fingernails into her bedspread and she felt her canines press on her lips until small wounds formed. She felt like her muscles were tightening and her joints felt like they were reconfiguring. After a few moments, she opened her eyes…and they were the red color from her powers, but sported slitted pupils.

A few hours passed before Mimicus came into the room to check on Cheyenne. She saw the human sleeping on the bed in peace. The humanized femme went to her and shook her awake. Cheyenne stared up at Mimicus and asked, "…How long have I been asleep?"

"Just a few hours. How are you feeling?"

Cheyenne sat up and looked herself over. Her wounds, to her surprise, were completely healed and showed no trace of ever being there. "…I actually feel great. I feel like I just got a full-night's rest."

"I'm surprised your wounds healed so quickly; maybe that's a power you didn't know you had. Just promise us you'll take it easy, okay? Starscream's almost paced a hole in the floor…"

Cheyenne blushed. "I'm sorry I worried him…and you too."

"The most important thing is that you're all right. I must say, you have a remarkable body and an even more remarkable immune system. You must have been able to neutralize the venom in your system, since you didn't mutate or anything."

The human stared at her hands and noticed her fingernails were a little longer than she last checked. Plus…did she grow a few inches? Normally, she was petite and barely stood above five feet, but it looked like she had grown about three or four inches. Her body was also lankier, as if she burned off extra fat in her sleep. She shrugged off her physical changes and decided to get a bite to eat from the kitchen. She hopped off the bed and walked out the door and found Starscream standing in the hallway…staring at her baby pictures. The Seeker stifled a laugh at the picture of her with spaghetti sauce smeared on her toddler face.

"You look cute in these pictures." Starscream commented when he noticed Cheyenne's presence.

Cheyenne scowled and blushed. "I was never prepared for a picture in my life. Sure, I don't mind my baby pictures, but I just wish I wasn't so chubby in the legs. Man, my hair was so curly back then…"

"Don't fret so much on how you looked in the past. I normally never say this to a human, but you look absolutely fine, inside and out."

"It's surprising to hear that from a man that used to be a human-hating Decepticon."

"Well…I suppose you've rubbed off on me." Starscream admitted.

Cheyenne smiled and started to walk down the hall while humming a song that had been on her mind for quite a while. Starscream stood silent and listened in on her.

_Touch me I'm cold_

_Unable to control_

_Touch me I'm golden_

_And wild as the wind blows_

_And tumbling, tumbling_

_In cold fascination_

_If just for tonight, darling_

_Let's get lost_

_If just for tonight, darling_

_Let's get lost_

Starscream knew this song; Cheyenne had sung it so many times and played it on what was called a 'stereo system'. The pounding beats resounded like the sounds of a pulsing spark, giving it a bit of a hypnotic melody. He stared at the pictures on the wall and softly sang the song with her.

_Let me come closer_

_I'm not your shadow_

_With our eyes shielding from_

_The oncoming counts_

_It's not hard for us to say_

_What we shouldn't_

_If just for tonight, darling_

_Let's get lost_

_If just for tonight, darling_

_Let's get lost_

Cheyenne glanced behind her when she heard the soft sound of Starscream's voice and stifled a laugh. Maybe she really was rubbing off on the Seeker. He didn't seem like he was his cold and manipulative self anymore; he seemed warmer and gradually became more comfortable with talking about uncomfortable subjects. No longer did he bark orders or loathe the mention of humans… Well, maybe Mimicus coming back brought out his true feelings…

_Touch me I'm cold_

_Unable to control_

_Touch me I'm golden_

_And wild as the wind blows_

_And tumbling, tumbling_

_In cold fascination_

_If just for tonight, darling_

_Let's get lost_

_If just for tonight, darling_

_Let's get lost_

What Cheyenne didn't know was that Mimicus had secretly taken a sample of her blood while she was borderline-comatose. Mimicus tried to assure herself that nothing bad had happened to the human after her exposure to the venom…but trouble always had a habit of sneaking up on them.

_Let's get lost_

The humanized femme went outside and changed back to her true form. She proceeded to plug the blood sample into her screening equipment to test for any pathogens or abnormal antibodies. It would take a few moments, but she could pass the time looking at the landscape Cheyenne called her home.

_Let's get lost_

The screening equipment beeped to confirm that the tests were complete. Mimicus brought up a screen to examine the amounts of components in the super-human blood. She carefully scanned the numbers and terms and saw one that shocked her.

_Let's get lost_

"Oh no…this isn't good… Cheyenne…I hope you're strong enough…physically and mentally."

_Let's get lost_


End file.
